Free add-in filter for Curves in PSE

[ChrisN]

I posted this in another thread, but I thought it would be missed there.

There is a free add-in filter for PhotoShop Elements that effectively gives you the Curves function. I found it via a discussion on the Pentax list in the DPR forums. Here is the link:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/r...essage=18665427

I have downloaded it and installed it with PSE3 - it works ok; now I'll have to learn what to use it for!

 

[jaapv]

Well maybe the tool works, the link doesn't. I wonder what it is supposed to do- if it gives full PS Curves function it would be a great thing. That is about the only thing I really miss in Elements. So please revise the link.

 

[ChrisN]

Sorry about that!

The Pentax forum thread http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1006&message=18665427 has information about installing the tool, and a link to the download.

The tool can be downloaded from http://free.pages.at/easyfilter/curves.html

 

[Kris]

Chris, in general Curve is used to adjust brightness value of colour/shade. You know that in 8bit greyscale we have 256 shades of grey black being 0 and bright white being 255.

Say you want to adjust midtone grey 128 to a lighter or darker shade, you click in the middle of the curve and drag it up or down respectively. See example, first image, I change 128 value to 82. That means mid tone grey is now darker - closer to 1/3 black.

You can create anchor points too to prevent the movement of the curve. See attachment 2 for example. Here I anchor mid tone and shadow so they don't change. But I make bright shades even brighter.

I normally use Curve in conjunction with Level. Level sliders to define black and white points, then Curve to adjust how dark or bright certain areas of the image will be.

Now if you select individual channel Red, Green or Blue, you can adjust the brightness of each colour hence you can use Curve for fine tuning colour balance too.

The more you play around with it, the more you find it indispensable.

Hope that helps. Feel free to PM me if you want to know more. Not that I'm really good at Photoshop.

 

[jaapv]

Looks like a very nice tool, I'll download it. Thanks!

 

[ChrisN]

Thanks Kris - I decided today I am going to have to do a Photoshop course - my self-learning attempts using web material and booklets are not giving me what I need to know. I'll get back to you with a list of questions after the course!

 

[Kris]

Chris, are you in the APS part of Dept. of Defense? I know DoD does have a 3-day Photoshop course. A colleague sitting next to me attended the course.

 

[ChrisN]

Shhh - it's a secret!

I'll have to check into that. Thanks!

 

[hth]

Sad, PC only... 🙁

/Håkan

 

[RML]

PS courses for the DoD?! Is that to alter the photos coming from Iraq? Just kidding. 😀

 

[jaapv]

Essential course, Remy. DoD= Department of Desinformation (goes for any country, not just Oz) 😉

 

[ChrisN]

I could tell you, but then I'd have to shoot you. 🙂

 

[jaapv]

As long as you use a Leica that's fine 😛

 

[John]

Kris was just giving me some curve lessons this week, and I could not find this functionality in Elements. Boy, I can hardly wait to get this working!!! 🙂 🙂